Our lives are divided in phases. But we realise we lived another phase only when it’s over.

Emptying the room where I’ve lived my recent past is quite a painful thing.

Filling boxes with what I’ve been.

But it’s also a way to prepare a new blank page to draw. And I hurry to do it.

Another part of the park had people just parking next to each other since I guess at the time there was not enough cones.

A visit to our local park recently, to check out stuff during the Pandemic.

Dodge Park

Sterling Heights, Michigan

Can you remember our last picture. "Love at distance" like one of our friends wrote in the comments. This comment inspired us to take a second picture of the happy end of "Love at distance on the balconies of our Hotel Dunas Miradorin Maspalomas in the South of Gran Canaria. Now our Dunas Couple is enjoying the wonderful sight over the Dunes of Maspalomas an the blue ocean and sky together ... How romantic :-)

 

Picture and rights reserved: Thomas Borstner

  

Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

29 km - E1 - D - 2.3.2 Neugraben - Buchholz i.d.N.

 

Hamburg/Lower Saxony - Long distance hiking - E1

 

e1.hiking-europe.eu/e1/etappen/deutschland/hamburg/blanke...

 

Auch NordSüd Trail und Heidschnuckenweg

strobist lighting102 position/distance exercise

Jeff McMullen, Wayne Muir, (standing) Naomi Wolfe, Ken Ralph, Annette

Schneider (seated)

 

“Closing the Space Between Us”

 

Easing the Crisis in Indigenous

Health and Education

 

Jeff McMullen

 

2007 Annual Aquinas Lecture

Australian Catholic University Ballarat

Jim-baa-yer Indigenous Unit

Friday 14th September 2007

 

I am torn as I stand here tonight between sharing what I know is happening to Aboriginal communities and wanting to be there as the sun rises tomorrow.

 

In Barunga, a Jawoyn community in southern Arnhem Land, they will walk tomorrow along a heavily trodden sandy track through the trees to bury a very young man who died way too soon. He is the son of an Aboriginal teacher, Lorraine Bennett, a woman my family thinks of as one of our favourite people in the world. My words tonight are in honour of this young life and of his wonderful mother who has taught so much to so many other children, even mine.

 

When my son, Will, now 12, and daughter, Claire, now 13, were considerably younger they sent Lorraine books, the right books, the ones she said she needed. This inspiring teacher with the beautiful smile used those books to start the first preschool in Wugularr, 120 kilometres south of Katherine.

 

Lorraine works now for the Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corporation which has the huge job of bringing health to people scattered across vast distances in Arnhem Land. Lorraine directs the early learning and health education project supported by Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth trust. She understands that if we are to create a brighter and more hopeful life for all Australian children then we need to create the change that can only come through education. If we are to overcome the crisis in Aboriginal communities around this country we have to educate ourselves to understand the truth.

 

Over fifty years of world wandering has deepened my appreciation of the extraordinary journey made by Aboriginal people to be here today as the world’s oldest continuous culture.

 

I am not romanticising the past but it is essential to acknowledge the strength, the beauty and the value of Australia’s Indigenous cultures to understand the scale of the crisis afflicting so many of our 460,000 Indigenous people.

 

Wherever you live in Australia you need to find out the longer timelines of the history of this land and its people to understand what is happening now.

 

Here in Victoria, it was plagues of sickness following European occupation that ravaged the Wathawurrung people on this land of theirs. Not since the arrival of those European illnesses has Aboriginal culture as a whole faced such a grave threat.

 

There is a genuine emergency today in the heartland of this country but it is not mentioned once in over 500 pages of legislation rushed through our Federal Parliament to try to legitimise the illegitimate takeover of the rights of Aboriginal communities. Eerily, it is hard to find mention of children in those 500 pages of legislation.

 

The federal intervention, approved by both major political parties, almost completely misreads the real trauma and the greatest threat to Aboriginal lives.

 

What is killing most Aboriginal people 17 to 20 years before their time is a plague of chronic illness known as Syndrome X. This is a new Black Death cutting the heart out of several generations of Aboriginal people. It is both physical and mental sickness on such a scale that Aboriginal communities are now shrouded in a seemingly endless procession of funerals and mourning.

 

In the 1980’s, travelling widely in the remote communities, I used the phrase “a health emergency” to describe for governments and our nation the accelerating plague of diabetes, renal disease, strokes, hypertension and heart disease. Syndrome X has been gathering terrible force. Governments, state and federal, have held numerous inquiries, health strategies have been plotted time and again, but no Government has invested adequately in the integrated program of health, housing, work and, in particular, education that can end this preventable cluster of chronic illnesses.

 

Look at it this way. Over 70% of your family’s good health is determined by your socio-economic status : your education, the money you earn at work, the quality of your home and the health care you access. Aboriginal people, on the UN’s measurement, have the second worst quality of life on earth, outdone in squalor and disadvantage only by the poorest rural Chinese.

 

Here in the midst of a Golden Age for most Australians, when the wealth of this Aboriginal Land has built an astonishing federal surplus of over 17 billion dollars this year, we still have hundreds of thousands of Aboriginal people, the owners of this Land, living in dire poverty. They are by far the most disadvantaged of Australia’s two million people living below the poverty line. I have seen children who wander around looking for food. Thousands of children are not even enrolled for school and many teenagers wander aimlessly. Whole communities have been denied their human right to adequate food, housing, health and education. As a result we are now witnessing the very rapid disintegration of so many Aboriginal families, in remote, rural and urban communities.

 

Aboriginal people have barely wiped the tears from their eyes when there’s news of another death, especially young men who see no future in their own country, ashamed middle aged men in the grip of alcohol and illness who know they can’t support their families and broken men who die in the long grass or sometimes in a police cell.

 

Just a few years ago at Barunga we buried one of the Jawoyn’s great modern leaders. The late Bangardi Lee was just 53, young enough to be my brother. But in these parts I meet few Aboriginal men my age. Mr Lee died after suffering but never complaining about his handful of Syndrome X chronic illnesses. This thoughtful man knew that education was the key to a better chance of health for all of his community and he had asked Ian Thorpe and myself to lend a hand to try to improve the staggering 93% illiteracy in this zone of distress. As he was lowered into the ground, in the Aboriginal custom we pressed our sweat onto the coffin and I whispered a promise that I would do as he asked and do what we could until these children, the Children of the Sunrise, had the same opportunity as my own.

 

When my mother was a country child, growing up on the land near Singleton in the Hunter Valley, she lived opposite a shanty settlement of very poor Aboriginal families. She told my brothers and I that as she walked barefoot to school she came to see that it was wrong that Aboriginal children were then denied a chance to learn in that same school. In my family we felt the same way to know that in the whole of the Northern Territory only 62 Aboriginal children completed high school in government schools in 2004 as we worked with Ian Thorpe to build an early learning and health education program. My son, Will and daughter, Claire, were unsettled when they learned that Aboriginal children had so little. They, too, knew it was wrong. It was the unfairness they couldn’t bear.

 

“I know why these kids find it so hard when they start school”, Will said. “They never see a book at home.” Yes, bookless homes, scores of communities without a library or a pre-school this is part of our failure. Claire and Will truly could not imagine a childhood without books, without that world of pure joy and discovery that is opened up through reading.

 

Yet every Australian literacy study confirms that by Year 3 many Indigenous children have fallen eighteen months behind the national literacy and numeracy standards. The strugglers continue to deteriorate and by grade seven lag five years behind. How will these Australian children make their way through life with the literacy level of a six-year-old?

 

If they can’t read or write properly how will they ever find their way out of the maze of poverty and poor health? How will they get a driver’s licence to move with freedom in the wider world or ever hold down a well paying job? Almost certainly non-readers will become dependent on others for simple but sometimes critical functions. In the Jawoyn communities, Bangardi Lee used to say how distressing it was for his people to turn to outsiders, even to write letters begging for help from Canberra.

  

Closing the gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal people and the rest of Australians is our greatest national challenge. The key is to close the gap in education.

 

It is no coincidence that in regions like Arnhem Land where the median age of death of Aboriginal men is around 46, much lower than the national average of around 56 for Indigenous men, you also find these illiteracy rates as high as 93%. The explanation lies in the complex chain of factors that produce disadvantage beginning at birth and developing into a loss of control over individual lives and even the destiny of whole communities.

 

In the case of some children the disadvantage starts in utero. American scholar, Paul E. Barton, found that of fourteen major factors contributing to the racial gap in educational achievement, eight of them occurred before the child reached school. Of great interest to me was Barton’s finding that hunger, nutrition and low-birthweight were important contributors. He is not alone in these findings.

 

Syndrome X, that cluster of illnesses devastating Aboriginal lives, was for a long time explained by some as the consequence of a weak gene. I heard the same racial excuse used thirty years ago to explain the disproportionate amount of these illnesses among Native Americans or African-Americans I was filming at the time for Four Corners. But this theory has been shattered in recent years. Professor John Bertram of Monash University and a team that included the Menzies School of Health Research in the NT and the University of Mississippi examined autopsies of those who had died of the Syndrome X illnesses. They found a fascinating constant. It crossed over races but it hovered around hunger and poverty. The common factor was being born a dangerously low birth weight baby.

 

Young Aboriginal mothers are often malnourished and have untreated infections. In utero their unborn baby develops too few nephrons in the kidney. These are the tiny filters. You don’t catch up on nephrons. The hand you are dealt at birth is what you will live and die with. With too few nephrons the kidney of the Aboriginal child struggles and overcompensates, with an increased risk of scarring and ultimately early kidney disease, then premature death. I wear another hat as a Trustee of Jimmy Little’s Foundation which is committed to helping Aboriginal people on dialysis get back to their country when they are battling through the last years of their lives. Australian hospitals are now seeing the start of an avalanche of patients requiring costly dialysis but many Aboriginal people won’t get this treatment and they too will die years before their time.

 

This is the epitaph we chisel on their tombstones. Born into disadvantage and died that way.

 

A leading Aboriginal scholar, Professor Ted Wilkes and Dr Fiona Stanley of the Telethon Institute report in their landmark Western Australian assessment of Aboriginal health a disturbing pattern of hunger, poor nutrition and a high incidence of smoking and drinking even while those young Aboriginal mothers were pregnant. 49 per cent of Indigenous mothers smoked through pregnancy and 23 per cent continued to drink alcohol. These are two more of the major causes of those dangerously low birth-weight babies.

 

What distressed the researchers the most was that apparently the health education message had never reached these young people or had been ignored. If you work in education we need to make a far more vigorous and creative effort, with messages shaped by Indigenous people, to help especially young teenage mothers understand that it is not only their health that is threatened. It is the future of their child, including the child’s intellect and ability to learn.

 

This kind of education is not part of the Federal Government’s intervention in the Northern Territory.

The Federal Government has never adequately funded the vital screening and prevention programs to prevent the epidemics of illness and disease. Led by the ex-Army Captain, Mal Brough, some troops lend a hand on logistics but they should be building up the vital services that have never been provided in so many of these communities. The Volunteer GP’s are now paid by the Federal Government to complete health checks to establish an audit of a health disaster that has been assessed numerous times. They will not be there long enough to provide real treatment. When they go home the pattern of chronic illness will remain.

 

The Northern Territory Intervention patronisingly ignores the good work by Aboriginal medical services, staffed by black and white Australians who can never get the adequate primary health care funding they need.

Mal Brough’s Intervention is a show of concern but it offers very little treatment for the conditions or illnesses of poverty that afflict these children.

Most of these children will never access the pharmaceutical benefits scheme because there are chemist shops in Aboriginal communities. They will not access the medical benefits scheme either because there may be only one GP for a vast area of the Northern Territory.

 

According to the National Rural health Alliance the number of Australian-trained GP’s choosing

to bring care to the seven million Australians living in the bush has plummeted.

 

The Aboriginal Health Services need more nurses, dentists and other health professionals. Their patients are about five times sicker than other Australians.

Aboriginal children have ailments hardly seen in our cities in thirty years, including the world’s highest rate of acute rheumatic heart fever, scabies, anaemia and other diseases of poverty, and otitis media, middle ear infections which cause serious loss of hearing and become a life long learning disability for over 80% of the Jawoyn children. These infections, which are detected in babies as young as three months spread rapidly in overcrowded houses, often with ten, fifteen or more people crowded together, sleeping on old mattresses. There’s broken plumbing, stoves and fridges often don’t work and there’s no one with a real plan to help them find their way out of this maze of poverty and bad health.

 

Patrick Dodson has stated firmly that only the Federal Government has the level of funding required to change this health disaster. This year, the Aboriginal Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commissioner, Tom Calma decided to lead the Close the Gap campaign to focus our nation on this task at the start of a long federal election season. Cathy Freeman, Ian Thorpe and virtually every significant health organization in this land have joined forces to communicate a hopeful and positive message that within a decade we can make true progress and that with the will and the national commitment we will see that the ten thousand Aboriginal children born this year finally move towards a genuine equality of opportunity.

 

The Australian Medical Association, using estimates shaped by the health economist John Deeble, has estimated that an additional $460 million dollars a year is urgently required for primary health care in Aboriginal communities. I have pleaded for the past six years with the Federal Government to create the emergency level of aid that is required to deal with this genuine emergency. Kevin Rudd has put a couple of hundred million dollars on the table for an increased commitment to Indigenous Health. If the Prime Minister wants to see change in the lives of abused and neglected Aboriginal children he should now make a stronger commitment to provide the required level of Primary Health Care. I am not interested in more blaming. Let’s stop talking and get this done. In that prized future fund we have the bounty. Now we must have the belief. Let me share with you the proof that it can be done.

 

A good deal of research, especially by the Canadian scientist, Dr Fraser Mustard, has established that for every additional year of education provided to a whole community of young teenage women, we will add up to four years life expectancy to their first child.

 

Professor Ken Wyatt, formerly head of Aboriginal Health in NSW and now in charge of Western Australia’s Aboriginal health policy, adds another great incentive. Increasing the education of those young women by a single year can also reduce the danger of infant mortality when they give birth by between 7 and 10%. This is what I think of when I say, “Literacy is for life”.

 

What more motivation or sense of purpose can we want to create a very different kind of intervention : primary health care, managed and delivered by well funded Aboriginal health organizations, and education on a revolutionary scale that we have never provided Aboriginal children. Guaranteed pre-school education for all Australian children would be a great place to start. Go Kevin 07! But come on John! If you are going to fight out this election Prime Minister and offer a plan for the future, radically boost the investment in early learning.

 

Indigenous children are so disadvantaged that we need a literacy brigade of well educated people to rapidly lift the rate of learning. After I made this proposal two years ago at the Garma National Education Conference in the Northern Territory, the Minister for Indigenous Affairs responded by inviting the so called Grey Panthers to visit some remote communities in their caravans. This, as every teacher knows, is simply not enough.

 

The most disadvantaged students, in fact, require the highest standards of teaching. Some retired teachers and principals would have those talents and many others with appropriate cultural training could support these badly undermanned schools. The real champions of Indigenous education like Dr Chris Sara believe that the first step is to retrain principals to retrain their teachers to believe that Aboriginal children can reach the same standard of learning as the rest of Australian children.

But as with health workers, we need to fund an adequate education force equal to the great national task ahead of us.

 

I escorted the Federal Education Minister to one of the remote communities to show her that this can be done.

At Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth Trust we have had some good support from the Federal Education department for our seven year effort to help improve the health and education of all Australian children.

 

Ian has been a true champion, visiting many of the remote communities, encouraging the children, their parents and their teachers. He is a strong man, with a big heart and a very fine mind. When asked how long he will persist in this work, he says, until we get the job done.

 

Charles Perkins told me many years ago that for Aboriginal people the road to equality would be a very long and hard one. We have to remain relentless and find the best in one another. Aboriginal people have been teaching me this for years.

 

Our strategy at Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth trust is to focus on the well being of the young mothers, with early learning for their infants and a highly successful program of support for literacy at the primary school level.

 

Our Literacy Backpacks are tackling those bookless homes and supporting the NT teachers by closing the space between the school and the home. First we raise funds from the public. $200 can fund a child’s Literacy Backpack for a year’s worth of good reading. We seek support from companies like Credit Suisse Australia, Kessler and Vodafone to help resource a good school library with books tailored to the Accelerated Learning strategy favoured in the remote area schools. We enrol the kids in the Scholastic or Wombat Book club so they have the same encouragement and enjoyment as my children did as they make their own selections of reading. Instead of forcing truant kids to walk around picking up rubbish and other punitive, humiliating versions of this so called “tough love” approach of the NT intervention, the teachers we work with give the children an incentive to learn, to find themselves in the book. If the kids make good progress they get vouchers to purchase any book they like from the Katherine Bookshop. It’s owner, another spirited woman who believes in education, says many of these Aboriginal families are now saving and spending hundreds of dollars to provide more books for their children.

 

In the Literacy Backpacks the children take home a selection of reading for the whole family, for their younger brothers and sisters as well. They also carry home Aboriginal newspapers like the Koori Mail and the National Indigenous Times. Magazines on nutrition, cooking and baby care are very popular among the women. It’s incentive. It’s what these families are looking for and when children see their parents reading a newspaper or a magazine about contemporary Indigenous issues they know that learning is not a “gubba thing” just for white fellas..

 

To see people reading in those once bookless homes is a great satisfaction for teachers like Lorraine Bennett. Many of these Aboriginal schools in the Jawoyn communities are seeing significant measurable increases in the reading performances of the children.

 

Some of the girls used to ask my daughter Claire, “What are you going to do next ? “Well high school first,” she’d say. “I want to run fast like Cathy Freeman, swim fast like Ian, and then go to University like mum and dad.” I like to see our kids together, the boys running wild with Will and sharing their stories. Australian children sharing dreams.

 

Most of these children have never been far from their homelands. Learning and finding out what they truly need to know, those life empowering skills, will allow them to travel and come home. The greatest sense of progress is to hear children we know now talk of going to high school in Darwin or Cairns. It’s always hard to leave home and not every kid can handle that journey. Many Aboriginal leaders would love to see new residential high schools built to let children from several different communities share their school week together and then go home for a long weekend. At the moment scholarships and a very long journey is the only way. If they can make it, their mothers and fathers glow with pride.

 

It is so important to most of these parents to see that Indigenous culture is as prized as everything else in the school syllabus. Ian Thorpe’s Trust supports Aboriginal people to train the children in music, art and dance. Where possible these talents can flow into viable work and business that allows people a real chance to move from away from life limiting welfare dependency. In Wugularr, the Aboriginal actor, Tom Lewis, and local men organised the rebuilding of a Cultural Education Centre where young people are now trained in many forms of cultural expression usually shown off proudly at the annual Walking with Spirits festival.

 

In Queensland I have collaborated with the Aboriginal educator, Ernie Grant, on his “My Land, My Tracks” project. This is a teaching aide to help orient children to find out who they really are and how they fit into the longer timelines of Australian history. My experience with communities like Yarrabah and Kuranda, near Cairns, indicates that all forms of learning rapidly improve when Aboriginal children are more secure in their cultural knowledge and can value and respect their elders and their heritage. With Ernie Grant I share a passion to see Indigenous Studies elevated in importance in all levels of Australian education. As much as I learned at University I have made an effort throughout my professional lifetime to expand and deepen my appreciation of what it really means to live in this Aboriginal land. This can be a personal journey for every Australian.

 

What is missing in the Federal Government’s intervention into Aboriginal community life is any real empathy, any sense that we are walking with them, listening and learning. I am sorry but the words do matter and there is a coldness and insensitivity about this new policy of assimilation. There has been little meaningful consultation with the Aboriginal community leaders. Some were so upset they travelled to Federal Parliament but still couldn’t meet with those planning this radical upheaval. Very few Aboriginal people that I know in the Northern Territory agree that traditional lands should be under federal control through five year leases, evolving possibly into 99 year leases. Most are opposed to ending the permit system. Many more are fearful that John Howard’s Northern Territory plan, in the name of protecting children, is attempting to take over most aspects of running their families and communities.

 

In the name of ending welfare dependency we see the return to white management and clearly discriminatory practices. It is hard to see how this punitive approach will provide the training or even the right atmosphere for Aboriginal people to make their own moves to something better.

 

Claiming to “save their children” does not disguise the truth that this policy once more treats Aboriginal parents as incapable of looking after their children. It shames men and women, all of them, regardless of their behaviour. It is a return to the Mission mentality of subservience and inferiority. I thought we had agreed to leave that behind.

 

We must be honest here. The NT legislation is blatant discrimination. One set of rules for someone else. The legislation set aside the provisions of the Racial Discrimination Act. It also ignores the recommendations of the UN Committee against Discrimination urging Australia to uphold the right of Indigenous people to consultation in the decision making about their lives. The First Australians do have a right to autonomy that is once more being denied. Yet once more we are hearing that old misguided argument made when Aboriginal children of the Stolen Generation were denied their rights. We have to save the children, is again the cry.

 

The NT Intervention is an ideological power-play by a Prime Minister who has never believed that Aboriginal people have an exceptional, sacred right to their Land,

the entitlement of Native Title legally established by the High Court. This is a Prime Minister, according to his biography, that told his Treasurer that he would not walk in a Reconciliation March with Cabinet. I have tried to work cooperatively with several of Mr Howard’s federal ministers and know some want far better than this for Aboriginal people. But our federal parliament in a failure of will and judgement has ridden along with this intervention and watched the steady erosion of Aboriginal rights for over a decade.

 

The Federal Government’s refusal to say SORRY effectively ended Reconciliation. The Governments 10 Point Plan undermined Native Title. This was followed by the denial of the Indigenous Right to Self-Determination, the abolishment of ATSC and the isolation of Indigenous leaders who do not support assimilation. Then came the cultivation of a new Conservative agenda to remove or weaken the teaching of Aboriginal culture in schools. For an animist people who see the Land as their Mother the final and greatest insult is to see the Federal Government take control of the community land on which they live.

 

After many lifetimes of denial of who Aboriginal people really are, came many more lifetimes of struggle to win respect for their Culture and see them treated as equals.

 

It is a shameful Big Lie to present the abuse of these rights as in the best interests of Aboriginal people.

The NT intervention is replete with treachery and a looming sense of greater tragedy to come if it is allowed to continue as planned. Thankfully the outcry from many has softened the initial order for mandatory sexual inspections of Aboriginal children.

But the health organizations that do the hard work of caring for all of these children say nothing has yet been done to fund that essential primary health care or education on the scale required.

 

After all of the battles for justice and civil rights, that long road trudged by true Australian heroes like Jack Patton and William Ferguson, the historic claims by Vincent Lingiari, Eddie Mabo, the Wik people and others, are we now going to watch in silence as Aboriginal people once more see their lives taken over by

Government managers.

 

It is forty years since the moral force of Australians expressed clearly in the 1967 referendum our belief in human equality.

 

It is time to speak up and insist that whomever wins the coming federal election our federal government must invest some of that future fund in the real future of a great society, health and education for our children.

 

These are the Children of the Sunrise.

   

SOURCES

 

1. “No Excuses – Closing the Racial Gap in Learning. Stephen and Abigail Thernstrom. Simon & Schuster. New York. 2003.

2.“My Land, My Tracks”. Ernie Grant. Innisfail & District Education Centre. Innisfail.1998.

3.“Preliminary findings in a multiracial study of kidneys in autopsy”. Hoy, W.E., Douglas-Denton, R.N., Hughson, M.D., Cass, A.,Johnson,K., Betram, J.F., Kidney Journal International. 83, 31-37. June 2003.

4.“Benefits of Swimming Pools in Two Remote Communities in Western Australia”. (Includes Aboriginal childhood illness assessment) Lehmann,L., Tennant,M., Silva,D., McAullay,D., Lannigan,F., Coates,H. and Stanley,F. British Medical Journal (2003) 7412, 415-419.

5. “Public Report Card, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health: Time for Action”. Australian Medical Association. www.ama.com

6.“Parsing the Achievement Gap”, Paul E. Barton.

Analyses 14 factors contributing to the Racial

gap in Learning. Published by The Policy

Information Centre of the Educational Testing

Service. New York. 2003.

7. Western Australia Aboriginal Health Survey. Dr

Fiona Stanley, Assoc. Professor Ted Wilkes et

al. Telethon Institute for Child health

Research. Perth. WA.

8. Details of Health Education, Early Learning at

the Women Centres & Literacy Backpack

Projects available from Ian Thorpe’s Fountain

for Youth Trust. PO Box 402, Manly, NSW.

1655. Telephone : 02-89669422.

www.ianthorpesfountainforyouth.com.au

  

a place to spleep, some storage place & 4 huge rockets. Do I need to say more?

 

UPDATED INFORMATION - NOVEMBER 2023

 

This report has been prepared by Chris Borough, Graham Nicholson and Philip Pope

 

This photograph, taken on or around 30th November 1954, shows the Norfolk Whaler, known locally as the Santa Cruz, ready to depart under her own power across the bar at Tuncurry before being towed to Ballina by the s.s. Bonalbo. The launch alongside the Santa Cruz is the Endeavour I; the Bonalbo can be seen out to sea in the far distance.

 

Another photo of the Endeavour I is in the Album ENDEAVOUR I

 

Other images of the Santa Cruz are in the Album NORFOLK WHALER/SANTA CRUZ

 

The Norfolk Whaler / Santa Cruz is anchored in the entrance to Cape Hawke Harbour with her bow pointing seaward on a run in tide and the Forster breakwater on her starboard side.

 

Tethered to her port side is the fishing vessel Endeavour I with, more than likely, the pilot station launch Wallis on her stern.

 

To the far left bottom corner of the photo is the fishing vessel Eldorado II standing by. The man standing on the deck of the Eldorado II has been identified as a Nicholson, either Laurie or John.

 

The Santa Cruz was towed to this site from the Wright's shipyard by the fishing boat Irene III.

 

In the background, on the horizon, is a yet to be identified large vessel, more than likely awaiting to have the Santa Cruz handed over to be towed to Ballina.

 

Endeavour I

The 42ft Endeavour I was built on the Tuncurry foreshore by Alec Sutherland, Moore Hoy and Max Nicholson; she was launched in 1945.

 

She was owned by Max and Moore, replacing the Endeavour, which was bought by the Commonwealth Government in 1943. After the Endeavour I was sold, she was renamed the Irene I but remained and worked from the port.

 

Eldorado II

The 53ft Eldorado II, was also built on the Tuncurry foreshore by Jimmy Nicholson and his two sons Laurie & John. Launched in June 1946 the Eldorado II replaced the Eldorado and remained in the Nicholson family, working from the port for over 30 years before being sold.

 

More images of the Eldorado II are in the Album ELDORADO II

 

Wallis

The vessel tethered to the stern of the Endeavour I is more than likely the Pilot Station's launch Wallis.

 

Extract: Pilot Diary

Thursday 3rd May 1945.

Routine duties, Re Departure of Australian Army boats for North, motor boats belonging to Australian Army Water Transport. A.T.1536, A.M.1495, A.M.1620, A.M.1724, & A.M. 1884, left for North 12.00 noon.

Station launch Wallis swamped on inside edge of bar whilst returning to Port after making turning point on bar, some gear lost, other recovered, 2 pieces of bottom boards, spare spark plug & billy can.

Personal loss, uniform, grey felt hat & wrist watch spoiled by salt water.

 

Norfolk Whaler (Santa Cruz)

This information has been updated – October 2022 based on further information

 

The twin screw Norfolk Whaler (known in Tuncurry at Santa Cruz) was built at the shipyards of Ernest Wright and Sons in Tuncurry, NSW. Construction was commenced in 1946, the same year that shipyard manager Ernest Wright died.

 

After Ernest’s death, work was supervised by Arthur Wedlock (Manager) and Frank Avery (Foreman); John Wright jnr. took over the business after his return from WWII. A very impressive vessel, Frank Avery described her keel as follows: She has a piece of 12x12 iron bark, 75ft. long, in the keel. Like the kelson, stem and apron it was squared with axe and adze”. Newcastle Morning Herald 17 May 1947

 

Launch – 16th September 1954

Progress was in stages over an eight-year period and it was not until 16th September 1954 that she was launched. Elizabeth Wedlock, daughter of Arthur Wedlock and great grand-daughter of the late John Wright who had, in 1877 [1875?], established the shipbuilding industry in Tuncurry, launched her. She announced I LAUNCH THIS SHIP. MAY GOD BE WITH HER AND ALL WHO SAIL IN HER. As she spoke these words, she, "grasped the bottle of champagne swinging from the bow by the tartan ribbon of 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' and with all the assurance and grace of youth, broke the bottle against the gleaming wooden vessel poised on the slips". [Dungog Chronicle- Saturday 2 October 1954]

 

Although known locally as the Santa Cruz, there was not one mention in any of the many reports of the newly launched vessel’s name. Frank Avery in 1947, had indicated that she was owned by a Queenslander while the owner was later reported as F.E. Crouch [SMH - Saturday 18 September 1954]]. In addition, there are no press reports of a vessel of the name Santa Cruz and there is no record in the Register of British Shipping of that name.

 

Towed to Ballina

On the 17th September The Santa Cruz - Norfolk Whaler was towed out of the channel by the launch IRENE III and then taken by the steamer Bonalbo to Ballina on instructions from her owner S. G. White Pty Ltd. but it took four years until 14th November 1958 before she was registered to North Coast Whaling Pty Ltd., 20 Grosvenor St., Sydney, with the name Norfolk Whaler.

 

Details

Name: Norfolk Whaler (local name Santa Cruz, later ARCTURUS

Builder: Ernest Wright & Sons

O/N: Official Number: 199178

Registered 15/1958 Sydney (14th November 1958)

Length: 119.95 ft

Breadth: 22.6 ft

Depth: 10.15 ft

Tonnage: n.b. 1 shipping ton = 100 cubic feet)

-Gross: 217.47 tons (615.44 cubic metres)

Net (Register): 91.43 tons (258.75 cubic metres)

The supervising naval architect was Arthur N. Swinfield A.M.I.N.A.

 

Owners

The early ownership of the vessel known locally as the Santa Cruz is not well understood. It appears that she was initially commissioned to be built as a luxury tourist craft for a Mr. F.E. Crouch. Over the long term of construction (1946 – 1954) it would appear that the hull was purchased by S. G. White Pty Ltd (Sydney based firm that had a facility undertaking shipbuilding and ship repairs at Ballina) as a potential tuna vessel and was taken to Ballina after launch in 1954. “Lying at Tuncurry uncompleted is a 128 ft. ship (Figure 1, lower) which could make a fine sea-going tuna clipper. She has a beam of 22 ft. 6 ins., moulded depth of 10ft. 9 ins. and 2½ inch planking. This ship was begun for a former owner, by E. Wright & Co., of Tuncurry, as a luxury tourist craft for the Barrier Reef, but is now owned by S. G. White Pty. Ltd., Sydney shipbuilders and repairers. Plans prepared by Mr. Arthur Swinfield, Sydney naval architect, provide for five refrigerated wells on each side of the vessel, with a total capacity of 100 tons, and three bait tanks aft with a combined capacity of 30 tons. Accommodation provides for a crew of fourteen.”

Fisheries news-letter Vol. 13 No. 2 (February 1954)

 

Fitted out at Ballina

Over the period 1954 – 1958 she was fitted out at Ballina and at some time sold to North Coast Whaling Pty Ltd. In 1956 Diesel engines (6cyl. General Motors Corp) driving twin screws were fitted. During the first half of 1957, she was fitted out as a whaler under the supervision of Jim Hammond (Alan Wright, Great Lakes Historical Society, personal communication) and undertook her first sea trials in June 1957 [smh 19 June 1957]

 

Whaling at Ballina/Byron Bay

The story of whaling at Ballina/Byron Bay is quite complex; the whaling station was located at Byron Bay while the whaling vessels used from 1957 on were apparently leased from North Coast Whaling Pty Ltd, Ballina.

 

The Byron Whaling Company had its origins in 1951 when a group of Inverell businessmen tried to float a public company - Byron Whaling Company Ltd. The float, however, was under-subscribed and investors’ monies were repaid. 1953 a private company Byron Whaling Co. Pty. Ltd. was formed and the company started construction of whaling facilities at Byron Bay in May 1954 and secured a licence to harvest an annual quota of 120 humpback whales. In July 1954, Anderson Meat Industries Ltd. acquired Byron Whaling Co. Pty. Ltd.; the first whale was captured in the same month. Byron Whaling Co. Pty. Ltd. operated two Fairmile cruisers as chasers, Byrond I and Byrond II. The whaling quota was increased to 150 whales per year after the first year of operation.

In 1955, a whaling station was also constructed on Norfolk Island at Cascade Bay by the Norfolk Island Whaling Co., a trading name of Byron Whaling Co. Pty Ltd. The Cascade Bay whaling station commenced operation in 1956. In the same year, Anderson Meat Industries Ltd. sold the two entities, Byron Whaling Co. Pty Ltd and Norfolk Island Whaling Co. to the newly listed public company Norfolk Island and Byron Bay Whaling Co. Ltd.

 

Around the same time North Coast Whaling Pty Ltd acquired the Santa Cruz, and registered her as Norfolk Whaler (1958), she was reported to have been involved in whaling at Norfolk Island from mid-1957 on, presumably under lease to the Norfolk Island and Byron Bay Whaling Co. Ltd. She was assisted by two 30ft whale spotters, Kingston Whaler and Cascade Whaler; both vessel were built at Ballina by the S. G. White Pty Ltd Ballina Slipway and Engineering (Alan Wright, Great Lakes Museum, personal communication).

 

End of Whaling at Byron Bay

Her career as a whaler ceased in 1962 when only two whales were caught. The company that had apparently leased her, the Norfolk Island and Byron Bay Whaling Co. Limited, went into liquidation and was de-listed on 7th Jan 1963. North Coast Whaling Pty Ltd. sold Norfolk Whaler back to S.G. White Pty Ltd on 3rd February 1964

In 1965 the Minister for Territories announced that the Australian Government had purchased the Norfolk Whaler and renamed her Arcturus. She was refitted at Ballina as she was intended to be used to train Papua New Guinean merchant seamen. A Certificate of Survey dated October 1965 indicated that the modifications increased the tonnage and the registration details were amended as follows.

Gross tons: 234.72 tons (664.26 cubic metres)

Net tons: 103.91 tons (294.07 cubic metres)

 

Norfolk Whaler employed as Survey Ship - 1964

Before the purchase to the Minister for Territories was finalised, S. G. White had leased the Norfolk Whaler for survey work. Her initial deployment was at Port Headland, Western Australia - departing Ballina on the 19th January 1964. Her role was to survey a channel for the 4000-ton ore ships which intend to work that area. After operating in Port Headland she was dispatched to Groote Eylandt and finally returned to Ballina in August 1964.

The Australian Register was closed on 13th December 1965.

 

Sold to the Administration - Territory of Papua New Guinea - renamed Arcturus

The arrangement for the purchase involved some refurbishment to better suit the vessel's new role a training ship. She was sold to the Administration of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea for £90,000 arriving at Port Moresby in January 1966. She was then assigned to the Papua New Guinea Register and assigned the number 5256018. Arcturus 1966

 

Arcturus - Rabaul

The Arcturus was initially based in Rabaul where she was registered but it appears that she was not initially used for the purpose intended and received minimal maintenance.

 

Chief Officer of Arcturus claims wreck of Dai Maru for TPNG Administration

In September 1969 the following note was placed in the wheelhouse of the wrecked fishing boat Dai Maru.

NOTICE OF CLAIM 15th Sept. 1969

I, F. H. THOMPSON, CHIEF OFFICER OF T S ARCTURUS DO HEREBY CLAIM LEGAL RIGHT TO THIS VESSEL THE DAI MARU NO.7 (KOL-SI) AND ALL EQUIPMENT AND STORES HELD WITHIN HER, ON BEHALF

OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

THIS NOTICE IS SUBSEQUENT TO THAT PLACED ON BOARD ON THE 7th DAY OF SEPT ‘69

 

Training ship for Nautical College

Sometime in 1969 the Arcturus was moved to Napa Napa (near Port Moresby) ready for the first students at the Nautical College to commence training in early 1970. During this period the Arcturus was refurbished and she had her engines replaced with Gardner 6L3 diesel engines.

 

Nautical training moved to Madang

After drawn out negotiations between the Education Department the Department of Transport, the Arcturus was relocated to Madang to provide the training ship for the new Nautical College at Madang in 1972.

 

Arcturus involved in WW2 bomb disposal.

"A naval clearance team is removing hundreds of wartime bombs from the seabed off the Lae Yacht Club.

The bombs are obstructing the main approach to the club's anchorages. They were dumped into the sea after the war ended. The bombs were only discovered late last year when an R.A.N. patrol boat ran aground on the pile.

The RA.N.'s Naval Clearance Diving Team 1, operating from the MV Arcturus began clearing the bombs last week. They completed the task on Monday." Papua New Guinea Post-Courier Wed 14 Jun 1972

 

Arcturus based at Nautical Training Institute

For a long period in the 1970s she was tied up at the PNG Maritime Department wharf in Madang harbour. She was offered for sale in the late 1970s

 

Final Days in Madang

The Arcturus remained an important component in the Training Institute but, in late 1970’s, she was deemed to be no longer of use and was advertised for sale at Madang as follows:

“Offers are invited on an "as is where is" basis for the following:

Motor vessel M.V. Arcturus wood training vessel formerly Norfolk Whaler built 1954.

Length 36M, Breadth 6M, Gross tonnage 236 tons. Engine 6L3 Gardner.

The successful tenderer must remove vessel from mooring within one month from

date of advice.

Hull to be destroyed after removal of machinery and fittings.

The vessel may be inspected, at the Nautical Training Institute”

Papua New Guinea Post-Courier Fri 13 Jul 1979 Page 53

 

It has been reported that the engines, which were reconditioned and installed as auxiliary engines in one of the Lutheran Shipping's company’s vessels, are still running today. [David Faithful – Madang, Nov 2013]

 

With the recent information available courtesy of Trove and the Fisheries Newsletter the secret of her early career is now revealed and the ultimate fate of the last ship built by the Wright shipyard at Tuncurry has at last be solved.

 

Image Source - This image (PN003536) has been made available through the Great Lakes Museum, Tuncurry

 

Image Enhancement: Philip Pope

 

Acknowledgements. The assistance of Mori Flapan (Mori Flapan boatregister) by providing access to his extensive database is greatly appreciated. Ron Madden assisted in the extensive research undertaken. Alan Wright from the Great Lakes Museum also contributed substantially to the research.

 

All Images in this photostream are Copyright - Great Lakes Manning River Shipping and/or their individual owners as may be stated above and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or used in any way without prior written approval.

 

GREAT LAKES MANNING RIVER SHIPPING, NSW - Flickr Group --> Alphabetical Boat Index --> Boat builders Index --> Tags List

Jon wonders if he can dive from the balcony into the pool

Outside of the Romney Marsh, ruined churches are rare in Kent. So St Mary, romantically situated beside the lake that brought about it's collapse is one to seek out. Even though, judging by the graffiti carved into the chalk block walls, and litter left strewn about, this is some kind of location used for partying or something else.

 

Eastwell and Challock used to be neighbouring parishes, and still are really, but the direct road between the two is cut by Eastwell Estate, the two churches each stand at the end of a dead end lane that used to join the two churches. To get between the two involves a ten minute drive around the estate back to Ashford and up along the main Canterbury road.

 

You approach St Mary down a narrow lane, it is not signposted. But you can see the still standing tower just above the mature trees growing in the churchyard. Just beyond the church is the gate to the Eastwell Estate.

 

Two points of interest; one a fine flint cross in the south face of the tower. And that St Mary might be the resting place of Richard Plantagenet, son of Richard III.

 

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One of the few ruined churches in the county, St Mary's stands in a well-kept churchyard on the edge of Eastwell Park Lake. Only the west tower is intact and shows in its lower stage one of the unusual inset flint crosses probably inserted during the construction of the building to mark the day of the patronal festival. To the south of the tower is a nineteenth-century chapel built to house the romantic monument to Lady Winchelsea, which can now be seen in the Victoria & Albert Museum. A stone table in the churchyard marks the burial place of Richard Plantagenet, the illegitimate son of Richard III, who is reputed to have lived in the house which still stands to the east. His burial is recorded in the church register of December 1550. The church was built almost entirely of chalk blocks which, following the construction of the lake in 1841, started to soak up water which eventually resulted in the total collapse of the church in 1951. The ruins are now maintained by the Friends of Friendless Churches, a national charity, both as a place of pilgrimage and a historic monument.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Eastwell

 

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EASTWELL

IS the last parish remaining to be described in this hundred. It is written in antient records, Est-welles, and Estwelle, and sometimes only Welles; taking its name from the springs, with which it is watered, such being called by the Saxons, wells; and it has the addition of East from its situation, and to distinguish it from the adjoining parish of Westwell.

 

THE PARISH of Eastwell is very small, being not more than a mile across each way, containing in it about thirteen houses. It lies in a very healthy country, on a clean firm soil, at the side of the Ashford vale, at the foot of the range of down hills below Molash and Challock, which are here covered with woods, at the outskirt of a dreary barren country, where the soil is much addicted to chalk; but within this parish in the vale, and within the park, it becomes a flat, even and pleasant country, the soil changing to a sertile and kindly red earth of loamy clay, which produces a great deal of rich pasture. The greatest part of it is included in the park, which extends likewise into the parishes of Westwell, Challock, and Boughton Aluph, the church of Challock standing close to the pales on the north side, and that of Eastwell and the courtlodge, to those on the opposite side of it. The mansion of Eastwell-place stands at a small distance from the south east corner of the park, the pales of which join the high Faversham road and Boughton lees.

 

The house is very large, though the building is not extraordinary in the whole, yet the back front has something very noble and grand in the look of it. The park, though in the vale, yet it stands on higher ground that the rest of the vale beneath, having a beautiful prospect southward as far as the quarry hills, contains about 1600 acres, and by far the sinest situation in this county, the soil of it being very firm and hard, and the lower parts exceedingly sertile; the venison sed in it being accounted the sinest of any is Kent. The north-west part of it has fine inequality of ground, and being richly clothed with wood, shews nature in a most pleasing and picturesque state. In this part of the park is a very high hill, on the top of which is an octagon plain, from whence are cut eight several avenues or walks, called the Star Walks, the intermediare spaces being filled with fine venerable trees, so thick as to exclude the light from beneath them, making a very awful and majestic appearance. The view from the top of this hill is very extensive, for from it may be seen the course of the river Medway to Sheerness, and the buoy of the Nore toward the German ocean, and on the opposite side the British channel towards France beyond Romney Marsh, besides a very extensive and beautiful land prospect almost on every side.

 

One side of the village on Boughton lees in within this parish, at the eastern boundary of it, and there is another hamlet at the opposite part of the parish, called Linacre street, in which there is a house called Linacrehall, late belonging to Mr. Thomas Munn, of Ashford. This parish is watered by three springs, one of which rises at the bottom of the park, under Boughton-lees, and thence runs by Wilmington and Clipmill, into the river Stour, under Frogbrooke, having been joined by another which rises near the church; the third rises at the south corner of the park, near the other, and thence flows down by Kennington-common and Burton, into the river near Wilsborough-lees, just before which it is called Bacon's water.

 

There is a tradition, that a natural son of king Richard III. named Richard Plantagenet, sled hither from Leicester immediately after the fatal battle of Bosworth, fought in 1485, in which the king lost both his life and crown, and that he lived here in a mean capacity, having leave given him by Sir Tho. Moyle, as soon as he was discovered by him, to build for himself a small house, in one of his fields near his mansion of Eastwell-place, in which he afterwards lived and died; which is corroborated by an entry of his burial in the parish registry. He died in 1550, anno 4 king Edward VI. aged, as is supposed, about eighty-one. The entry in the parish register is as follows, under the article of burials: V. Richard Plantagenet, Desember 22d, 1550; the letter V prefixed being put before the name of every person of noble family mentioned in it; and against the north wall of the high chancel there is an antient tomb, without inscription, with the marks of two coats of arms, the brasses gone, which is reported to be that of this Richard Plantagenet. There was then no park here, but when there was one made, this small hut was included in it, and remained in being till it was pulled down by Heneage, earl of Winchelsea, who died in 1689. (fn. 1)

 

At the time of taking the general survey of Domesday, in the 15th year of the Conqueror's reign, this place was part of the possessions of Hugo de Montfort, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:

 

Hugo de Montfort holds one manor, Estwelle, which Frederic held of king Edward. It was taxed at one suling. There are three yokes within the division of Hugo, and the fourth yoke is without, and is of the fee of the bishop of Baieux. The arable land is three carucates in the whole. In demesne there are two carucates, and five villeins, and five borderers having one carucate and an half. There are ten servants, and twelve acres of meadow, and a wood. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth seventy shillings, and afterwards thirty shillings, now seventy shillings.

 

And the following entries in the same record, under the general title of the bishop of Baieux's lands, seem to relate to his possessions in this parish:

 

Ralph de Curbespine holds of the bishop Essewelle. It was taxed at three sulings. The arable land is . . . . . In demesne there are three carucates, and one villein, with seven borderers having half a carucate. There is one servant. It is worth six pounds. Molleue held it of king Edward.

 

The other entry is thus: Osbern holds of the bishop one manor, which three free tenants held of king Edward. It was taxed at one suling and an half. The arable land is . . . . In demesne there is one carucate, and one villein, with one borderer having half a caruacate. In the time of king Edward it was, and is now worth four pounds.

 

Hugo de Montfort, before-mentioned, had accompanied the Conqueror in his expedition hither, and after the battle of Hastings was rewarded for his services with many lordships in different counties, and among them with this of Eastwell. Robert, his grandson, was general of king William Rufus's army; but favouring the title of Robert Curthose, in opposition to king Henry I. to avoid being called in question upon that account, obtained leave to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, leaving his possessions to the king, by which means this manor came into the hands of the crown, of which it was afterwards held by a family who took their surname from it; one of whom, Matilda de Estwelles, held this manor, with the advowson of the church of it, of the king in capite, at her death in the 52d year of king Henry III. Soon after which it seems to have come into the possession of the family of Criol; for Bertram, son of John de Criol, died possessed of it in the 23d year of king Edward I. holding it in the like manner, and by ward to Dover castle, being part of those lands which made up the barony, called the Constabularie. He left two sons, John and Bertram, and a daughter Joane, who afterwards married Sir Richard de Rokesle. Both these sons died s.p. the former of them left his wife Alianor surviving, who entitled her second husband Edmund Gaselyn to this manor for her life, and she died possessed of it in the 23d year of king Edward III. upon which this manor descended to Agnes and Joane, the two daughters and coheirs of Joane her late husband's sister before-mentioned, by Sir Richard de Rokesley; and upon the division of their inheritance, the manor of Eastwell was allotted to Agnes the eldest, who entitled Thomas de Poynings her husband to it; and in his descendants this manor, with the advowson of the church, continued down to Robert de Poynings, who died possessed of it in the 25th year of king Henry VI. leaving Alianore, his grand-daughter, wife of Henry, lord Percy, eldest son of Henry, earl of Northumberland, his next heir; who in the 27th year of it had summons to parliament among the barons of this realm, as lord Poynings. Six years after which he succeeded his father as earl of Northumberland, and in his descendants this manor, with the advowson, continued down to Henry, earl of Northumberland, who in the 23d year of king Henry VIII. conveyed it to seossees, who soon afterwards passed it away by sale to Sir Christopher Hales, the king's attorney-general, whose lands were disgavelled by the act of the 31st of Henry VIII. and he died possessed of it in the 33d year of that reign, holding it of the king, as of the honor of his castle of Dover, by knight's service. He left three daughters his coheirs, and they, with their respective husbands, joined in the sale of it to Sir. Tho. Moyle, of Eastwell, whose lands were disgaveiled by the acts of 31 king Henry VIII. and second and third of Edward VI. being the son of John, descended from a family of this name at Bodmin, in Cornwall, and youngest brother of Walter Moyle, of Buckwell. (fn. 2) He was speaker of the house of commons anno 34 king Henry VIII. and chancellor of the court of augmentation, who was in high esteem with that prince, and accumulated a large fortune in his profession of the law. He new built the mansion of Eastwell place, and died possessed of this manor, with the advowson of the church of it in 1560, leaving two daughters his coheirs, Catherine, married to Thomas Finch, gent. and Anne, married to Sir Thomas Kempe, of Wye, but this manor, with the advowson, had been settled on the former, on her marriage with Mr. Thomas Finch, who was afterwards knighted, and resided at Eastwell-place, The family of Finch, according to John Philipott, Rouge Dragon, was originally descended from Henry Fitz-Herbert, chamberlain to king Henry I. whose descendant Matthew Fitz-Herbert, who was one of the magnates or barons, at the compiling of Magna Charta, as was his son of the same name in that parliament, which was convened to meet at Tewksbury. The alteration of this name to Finch was about the 10th of king Edward I. at which time Herbert Fitz-Herbert purchased the manor of Finches, in Lid, of which being entire lord, which he was not of his more antient patrimony of Netherfield, in Suffex, he assumed his surname from that, as many other families in that age did from those places of which they possessed the entire seignory, bearing for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins, segreant, sable. Vincent Herbert, alias Finch, was of Netherfield, about the end of the reign of king Edward II. and left two sons, Henry and John, the latter of whom was father of John, prior of Christ-church. Henry Herbert, alias Finch, the eldest son, inherited Nethersfield, and died anno 8 king Richard II. and left Vincent Herbert, alias Finch, (with whom the pedigree of this family begins in the Heraldic Visitation of this county, in 1619) whose son Vincent, was living in the reigns of king Richard II. and Henry IV. and by his wife Isabel, daughter and coheir of Robert Cralle, of Cralle, in Sussex, had two sons, William and John; which latter married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Seward, of Linsted, from whom descended the Finch's, of Sewards, Norton, Kingsdown, Faversham, Wye, and other places in this county. William Finch, the eldest son, by which name only he and his descendants wrote themselves, was of Netherfield, and had a son Henry Finch, esq. who married Alice, only daughter and heir of Philip Belknap, of the Moat, near Canterbury, uncle to Sir Ed ward Belknap, which marriage not only occasioned the first residence of this branch of the family in Kent, but rendered it more illustrious by a descent from many noble ones. Their eldest son Sir William Finch, was of the Moat in king Henry the VIIIth's reign, and was father of Sir Thomas Finch, of Eastwell, before-mentioned, (fn. 3) of which he died possessed in 1563. They had three sons and one daughter, of whom Henry, the third son, was sergeant-at-law, and left one son John, who was chief justice of the common pleas, lord keeper, and created anno 16 Charles I. lord Finch, baron of Fordwich, and died in 1661; the eldest, Sir Moyle Finch, was created a baronet at the first institution of that order, and surviving his mother, who had remarried Nicholas St. Leger, esq. (and lies buried in this church, as well as her father Sir Thomas Moyle, and all her descendants, to the present time) became possessed of this manor and advowson. He married Elizabeth, only daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Heneage, and resided at Eastwell-place, which he made very great additions to, and in 1589, obtained the queen's licence to inclose his grounds here, not exceeding one thousand acres, and to turn the highways that might be annoyed by it, and to embattle his house of Estwell. He died in 1614, leaving his widow, the lady Elizabeth Finch, surviving, who was by letters patent in 1623, anno 21 James I. created viscountess Maidstone; and afterwards, in 1628, anno 4 king Charles I. countess of Winchelsea, in Sussex. She died in 1633, and was buried at Eastwell, under a noble monument erected there for her and her husband, by whom she had several sons and daughters, the eldest son, Sir Theophilus Finch, bart. died s.p. the second, Sir Thomas, succeeded as earl of Winchelsea; the third, Sir John, was resident with the grand duke of Tuscany, and ambassador in Turkey, of whom there is no issue. He died in 1642, and was buried in Queen's college chapel, in Cambridge, to which he was a good benefactor; the fourth, Sir Heneage Finch, sergeant-at-law, and recorder of London, who died in 1641, was ancestor to the late earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham; and the fifth, Francis, was barrister-at-law, and an ingenious poet, who died s.p. Sir Thomas Finch, bart. the eldest surviving son, succeeded her as earl of Winchesea, &c. and in her possessions here, whose eldest son Heneage, second earl of Winchelsea, was one of those nobles who favored the restoration of king Charles II. and as such, was by general Monk entrusted with the government of Dover castle, and after king Charles's return was, in acknowledgment of his services, and of being descended from the antient family of Herbert, created baron Fitz-Herbert, of Eastwell, in the 12th year of his reign, and constituted lord lieutenant and custos rotulorum of this county, and shortly after sent ambassador extraordinary into Turkey. He was lord lieutenant when king James II. was taken, on his leaving this kingdom, and brought to Faversham, where, for protection from the insults of the populace, he sent to lord Winchelsea from Eastwell, who immediately came and persuaded the king to return to London. He died in 1689, having married four wives, by whom he had in all twenty-seven children, of whom sixteen lived to some maturity. At length these honors and estates descended afterwards down to John his son, by his fourth wife, his other intermediate descendants being dead without issue, who became the fifth earl of Winchelsea, who dying likewise s.p. in 1729, the titles of earl of Winchelsea and viscount Maidstone, for that of baron Fitz-Herbert became extinct, together with this manor and advowson, and the mansion and park of Eastwell, with the rest of the earl's estates in this county, devolved on Daniel, second earl of Nottingham, son and heir of Sir Heneage Finch, who had been created earl of Nottingham in 1681, son and heir of Sir Heneage Finch, the fourth son of Sir Moyle Finch, of Eastwell, knight and baronet, by his wife Katherine, who was created countess of Winchelsea as beforementioned. Sir Heneage Finch above-mentioned, was eminent in the profession of the law, and was recorder of London, and in the first year of king Charles I. elected speaker of the house of commons, and resided at Kensington, in the house now the royal palace. He died in 1631. Heneage, his son and heir, was in 1660, made solicitor-general, knighted, and created a baronet, being then of Raunston, in Buckinghamshire. He was afterwards attorney-general, and in 1673 made lord keeper; shortly after which he was in 1674, created lord Finch, baron of Daventry; and next year made lord chancellor, and in 1681 created earl of Nottingham; he had fourteen children, of which seven sons and one daughter survived him. Of the sons, Daniel succeeded him as earl of Nottingham; 2, Heneage was created baron of Guernsey and earl of Aylesford, of whom and his descendants a full account may be seen under that parish. (fn. 4) Charles was fellow of All Souls college, and Henry was dean of York, and lies buried there with his brother Edward, who was prebendary of that church. Daniel, second earl of Nottingham, above-mentioned, became the sixth earl of Winchelsea, and entered early into life, being of the privy council to king Charles II. after whose death he took an active part in the politics of the succeding reigns, and was, for his great learning and abilities, highly trusted and employed in the great affairs of state till the year 1716, when he retired from all public affairs, and lived so till his death in 1730. He was twice married, first to lady Essex Rich, second daughter and coheir of Robert, earl of Warwick, by whom he had one daughter Mary; secondly to Anne, only daughter of Christopher, viscount Hatton, by whom he had five sons and eight daughters, besides seventeen other children who died young. The eldest son was Daniel, who succeeded him in titles and estate; William was envoy extraordinary to Sweden and the States General, and afterwards privy counsellor and vice-chamberlain of the houshold, who left a son George, who on his uncle's death, succeeded him in his titles, as will be further mentioned; John was solicitor-general to king George II. when prince of Wales, and afterwards king's council. Henry was surveyor of his Majesty's works; and Edward afterwards took the name of Hatton, pursuant to the will of Anne his aunt, the youngest daughter of Christopher, viscount Hatton, and heir of her brother William, viscount Hatton. He married Anne, daughter and coheir of Sir Thomas Palmer, bart. of Wingham, by whom he had George Finch Hatton, of whom more hereaster, and four other sons, and three daughters.—He was succeeded in the titles of earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, viscount Maidstone, and baron of Daventry, as well as in his estates in this county, by Daniel his eldest son, who was constantly employed from the accession of king George I in the most important offices of the state, till the year 1766, when he retired from all public business, having been in 1752 elected a knight of the garter. He was twice married; first to Frances, daughter of Basil Fielding, earl of Denbigh, by whom he had one daughter Charlotte; and secondly, to Mary, daughter and coheir of Sir T. Palmer, bart. above-mentioned, by whom he had four daughters, Heneage, Essex, Hatton, and Augusta. He died in 1769, æt. 81, full of years and wisdom, and was buried among his ancestors, in the church of Eastwell. On his death without issue male, his titles, together with his seat at Burleigh, and estates in Rutlandshire and other counties, descended to his nephew George, son of his next brother William, but he by his will devised the manor and advowson of Eastwell, with the park and mansion of Eastwell-place, together with all the rest of his Kentish estates, to his nephew George Finch Hatton, esq. eldest son of his youngest brother Edward Finch Hatton, who is the present possessor of them. He married Elizabeth-Mary, daughter of David, late lord viscount Stormont, afterwards earl of Mansfield, by whom he has issue, and now resides at Eastwell-place. He bears for his arms those of Finch before-mentioned, quartered with those of Hatton, being Azure, a chevron, between three garbs, or.

 

POTHERY is a small manor within the bounds of this parish, which seems to have been part of that estate belonging to Odo, bishop of Baieux, described in Domesday before, which, on his disgrace about four years afterwards, that is, about the year 1084, became with the rest of his possessions, consiscated to the crown, of which it was afterwards held by the family of Criol; and John de Criol, younger son of Bertram, held it, together with the manor of Seaton, in Boughton Aluph, already descriebed before, in the account of that parish, at his death in the 48th year of Henry III. In his descendants it continued till it passed at length with that manor in marriage to Rokesle, and thence again in like manner to the Perys, and was sold with it by Henry, earl of Northumberland, in Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, to Sir Christopher Hales, whose three coheirs sold it to Sir Thomas Moyle, whence it went by marriage again to Finch, whose descendant Daniel, earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, dying in 1769, without male issue, gave it by will to his nephew, George Finch Hatton, esq. now of Eastwell, the present owner of it.

 

Charities.

SIR WALTER MOYLE, of this parish, by will, anno 1480, ordered that his feoffees should deliver an estate in see simple to three or four honest and trusty men, in two acres of arable land in this parish, in a field called Cotingland, to the use of the church of Eastwell, in recompence of a certain annual rent of two pounds of wax, by him wrested and detained from it against his conscience.

 

MR. THOMAS KIPPS left by will in 1680, 20s. per annum to the use of the poor, out of a field in Great Chart, rented at 6l. per annum, the remainder of the rent being left to five other parishes.

 

THERE is an alms house in this parish.

 

The poor constantly relieved are about seven, casually five.

 

EASTWELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Charing.

 

¶The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of two isles and two chancels, having a square embattled tower at the west end, in which hang three bells. It is an antient building of slint, with ashler stone round the windows, which are small, and of only one compartment. The arms of Poynings still remain in the east window of the high chancel. Within the altar rails is a memorial for Nicholas Toke, clerk, obt. 1670, and for Nicholas Toke, his eldest son, obt. 1673. On the south side of the chancel is the tomb of Sir Thomas Moyle. In the south chancel is a sumptuous tomb, on which lie the figures of a man and woman in white marble, at full length, their sons and daughters round the sides of it; it had till within these few years, a beautiful dome or canopy over them, supported by eight pillars of black marble, the fragments of which now lie scattered about the chancel. It was erected for Sir Moyle Finch, knight and bart. who died in 1614, and Elizabeth his wife, created counteis of Winchelsea, &c. And a monument for Sir Heneage Finch, sergeant-at law, and recorder of London, who died in 1631, and of his first wife, who died in 1627. At the upper end of the south isle is a vault, for the Finch family, in which are thirty-eight coffins; the Hon. Edward Finch Hatton, father of the present Mr. Hatton, of Eastwell, being the last who was buried in it.

 

The church of Eastwell was always esteemed an appendage to the manor, and continues so, the lord of it, George Finch Hatton, esq. being the present patron of this rectory.

 

It is valued in the king's books at 9l. 16s. 8d. It is now a discharged living, of the clear yearly certified value of forty-two pounds. In 1588, it was valued at forty pounds per annum, communicants fifty-five. In 1640 the same.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol7/pp398-412

The distance between the Victoria Falls Bridge where one jumps and the river below is 111 meters.

 

European settlement of the Victoria Falls area started around 1900 in response to the desire of Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company for mineral rights and imperial rule north of the Zambezi, and the exploitation of other natural resources such as timber forests north-east of the falls, and ivory and animal skins. Before 1905, the river was crossed above the falls at the Old Drift, by dugout canoe or a barge towed across with a steel cable. Rhodes' vision of a Cape-Cairo railway drove plans for the first bridge across the Zambezi and he insisted it be built where the spray from the falls would fall on passing trains, so the site at the Second Gorge was chosen. See the main article Victoria Falls Bridge for details. From 1905 the railway offered accessible travel to whites from as far as the Cape in the south and from 1909, as far as the Belgian Congo in the north. The falls became an increasingly popular attraction during British colonial rule of Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), with the town of Victoria Falls becoming the main tourist centre.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Falls

 

On December 31, 2011, an incident happened. Erin Laung Worth, a 22-year-old Australian tourist plunged into the Zambezi River and the bungee jumping cord snapped. She managed to swim to the Zimbabwean side where she was treated in clinic and and later evacuated to South Africa.

 

Since, GOVERNMENT has assured tourists visiting the Victoria Falls in Livingstone that the bungee jumping equipment at the falls is safe and that tourists should not worry about the equipment as it has proven its reliability over the past years with only one mishap.

 

Longreach School of Distance Education, previously the Longreach School of the Air, opened on 27 January 1987.

 

Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 3578

Lighting details: one Alien Bees B400 monolight at 1/16th power with standard reflector, camera left, approx. 30-40 degrees from focal plane, at distances specified below. White foam core background is 5ft behind subject.

 

Shutter speed at max sync speed, 1/250th. Aperture varied to provide appropriate exposure at each distance (again, see below).

 

Strobe triggered by sync cord. I would have used my speedlights but the 420EX doesn't seem to want to fire as a slave in manual mode.

 

respectively, (distance, aperture):

 

(77in, f/3.2) , (37in, f/6.3) , (18in, f/11) , (10in, f/22)

 

The individual shots are in my lighting 102 set for those who are interested.

Sign on the dyke urging people to keep their 1,5 meter distance there were hardly any people there that day. But during on a sunny day a lot of people are out biking and hiking along the dyke next to Ijsselmeer.

No HDR for a while.. but soon I'll be back to my old habits.. in the meantime photos I personally like even if..

From a distance it was hard to tell that this house is a long abandoned wreck ... but coming closer, the broken windows provide the first clue.

.

The East Coast valleys were once more densely populated, but farms have since been replaced with forestry, and others combined as more economic units.

.

The photos shows clouds that may initially suggest a storm brewing over the hills behind to the west. But the sunlight in the foreground, and the blue sky shown in the accompanying photo eventually won the day.

 

Pronunciation? A hint is that all Maori syllables end with a vowel, So: Ko-pu-ar-po-u-nar-moo

The 2025 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT25) took place between Friday 18th and Sunday 20th July at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Many coaches and shuttle buses were involved in transporting spectators and crews to the event, one of these was YT21 DWA, a Scania N250UD/Alexander-Dennis Enviro 400MMC bus new to Cheltenham & Gloucester as 15369 in June 2021. It wears Stagecoach Distance livery.

 

Want to find out more? Join The PSV Circle - Details at www.psvcircle.org.uk

 

Copyright © P.J. Cook, all rights reserved. It is an offence to copy, use or post this image anywhere else without my permission.

Chinese Water Deer

A Nevada crew practices physical distancing during a training session.

I'd rather be 200 nautical miles away. You can keep your 1.5mt distanced adhesive footprints, i'll sail...

This is a photograph from the 4th Annual Meath Spring Half Marathon and 10KM Road Races hosted by Bohermeen AC on the 8th March 2015 at 12:00 at Bohermeen, Ardbraccan, Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland. A 10KM race was also held and started one hour before the half marathon. This event has grown quickly in popularity over the past few years with this year's entry of 1,168 with this being a record for both races. The half marathon had 843 entrants while the 10KM race had 325 entrants. This half marathon event is perfectly placed in the Irish running calendar as it provides runners of all levels and abilities an opportunity to test the half marathon distance in preparation for a Spring Marathon or as the first serious running goal in 2015. Bohermeen AC is steeped in Irish athletics history since 1927 and it is this experience and exceptional community spirit and volunteering which has made this event today so successful.

Want to use this photograph or share it? Please read/scroll down a little further to find out how - it's very easy!

 

The weather was very suitable for road racing with the exception of a strong headwind at certain parts of the course. However the cool, dry sunny conditions were suitable for fast times and PB performances from runners.

 

Our full set of photographs from today's event are available on Flickr at the following link https://www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157648897769373/. This set of photographs is mostly of the Half Marathon race but there are some from the 10KM event.

 

Don't forget to scroll down to see more information about the race and these photographs!

 

Event Management and Timing was provided by PRECISION TIMING. The results from today's events can be found on Precision Timing's website at this URL [www.precisiontiming.net/result.aspx?v=2457]. You can checkout their facebook page at www.facebook.com/davidprecisiontiming?fref=ts

 

The Satellite Navigation Coordinates to Bohermeen are [53.650882,-6.77989] and is accessible using the M3, N2 and N52

 

Some useful links to other web-resources related to this race

Bohermeen AC Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/bohermeen.ac?fref=ts

2015 Spring Half Marathon Route: www.runningmap.com/?id=641747

2015 Spring Half Marathon 10KM Race Option Route: www.runningmap.com/?id=641752

Google Streetview of the Race Start: goo.gl/maps/rtj1X

Google Streetview of the Race Finish and Race Headquarters: goo.gl/maps/qVttR

Internet Homepage for the Spring Half Marathon [www.meathspringhalfmarathon.com/]

 

Results from 2014 from Precision Timing: www.precisiontiming.net/result.aspx?v=1684

Results from 2013 from Precision Timing: www.precisiontiming.net/result.aspx?v=1115

 

Photographs from previous events

Our Flickr Photograph set from the 3rd Spring Marathon 2014: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157641717197563

Our Flickr Photograph set from the 2nd Spring Marathon 2013: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157632906920970/

Our Flickr set from the 1st Spring Marathon (2012) www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157629146137284/with...

Photographs from the 2013 event from our friend Paul Reilly [pjrphotography.zenfolio.com/p670974697]

 

USING OUR PHOTOGRAPHS - A QUICK GUIDE

Can I use these photographs directly from Flickr on my social media account(s)?

 

Yes - of course you can! Flickr provides several ways to share this and other photographs in this Flickr set. You can share to: email, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, LiveJournal, and Wordpress and Blogger blog sites. Your mobile, tablet, or desktop device will also offer you several different options for sharing this photo page on your social media outlets.

 

We take these photographs as a hobby and as a contribution to the running community in Ireland. Our only "cost" is our request that if you are using these images: (1) on social media sites such as Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter,LinkedIn, Google+, etc or (2) other websites, blogs, web multimedia, commercial/promotional material that you must provide a link back to our Flickr page to attribute us.

 

This also extends the use of these images for Facebook profile pictures. In these cases please make a separate wall or blog post with a link to our Flickr page. If you do not know how this should be done for Facebook or other social media please email us and we will be happy to help suggest how to link to us.

 

I want to download these pictures to my computer or device?

 

You can download the photographic image here direct to your computer or device. This version is the low resolution web-quality image. How to download will vary slight from device to device and from browser to browser. However - look for a symbol with three dots 'ooo' or the link to 'View/Download' all sizes. When you click on either of these you will be presented with the option to download the image. Remember just doing a right-click and "save target as" will not work on Flickr.

 

I want get full resolution, print-quality, copies of these photographs?

 

If you just need these photographs for online usage then they can be used directly once you respect their Creative Commons license and provide a link back to our Flickr set if you use them. For offline usage and printing all of the photographs posted here on this Flickr set are available free, at no cost, at full image resolution.

 

Please email petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com with the links to the photographs you would like to obtain a full resolution copy of. We also ask race organisers, media, etc to ask for permission before use of our images for flyers, posters, etc. We reserve the right to refuse a request.

 

In summary please remember when requesting photographs from us - If you are using the photographs online all we ask is for you to provide a link back to our Flickr set or Flickr pages. You will find the link above clearly outlined in the description text which accompanies this photograph. Taking these photographs and preparing them for online posting does take a significant effort and time. We are not posting photographs to Flickr for commercial reasons. If you really like what we do please spread the link around your social media, send us an email, leave a comment beside the photographs, send us a Flickr email, etc. If you are using the photographs in newspapers or magazines we ask that you mention where the original photograph came from.

 

I would like to contribute something for your photograph(s)?

Many people offer payment for our photographs. As stated above we do not charge for these photographs. We take these photographs as our contribution to the running community in Ireland. If you feel that the photograph(s) you request are good enough that you would consider paying for their purchase from other photographic providers or in other circumstances we would suggest that you can provide a donation to any of the great charities in Ireland who do work for Cancer Care or Cancer Research in Ireland.

 

We use Creative Commons Licensing for these photographs

We use the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License for all our photographs here in this photograph set. What does this mean in reality?

The explaination is very simple.

Attribution- anyone using our photographs gives us an appropriate credit for it. This ensures that people aren't taking our photographs and passing them off as their own. This usually just mean putting a link to our photographs somewhere on your website, blog, or Facebook where other people can see it.

ShareAlike – anyone can use these photographs, and make changes if they like, or incorporate them into a bigger project, but they must make those changes available back to the community under the same terms.

 

Creative Commons aims to encourage creative sharing. See some examples of Creative Commons photographs on Flickr: www.flickr.com/creativecommons/

 

I ran in the race - but my photograph doesn't appear here in your Flickr set! What gives?

 

As mentioned above we take these photographs as a hobby and as a voluntary contribution to the running community in Ireland. Very often we have actually ran in the same race and then switched to photographer mode after we finished the race. Consequently, we feel that we have no obligations to capture a photograph of every participant in the race. However, we do try our very best to capture as many participants as possible. But this is sometimes not possible for a variety of reasons:

 

     ►You were hidden behind another participant as you passed our camera

     ►Weather or lighting conditions meant that we had some photographs with blurry content which we did not upload to our Flickr set

     ►There were too many people - some races attract thousands of participants and as amateur photographs we cannot hope to capture photographs of everyone

     ►We simply missed you - sorry about that - we did our best!

  

You can email us petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com to enquire if we have a photograph of you which didn't make the final Flickr selection for the race. But we cannot promise that there will be photograph there. As alternatives we advise you to contact the race organisers to enquire if there were (1) other photographs taking photographs at the race event or if (2) there were professional commercial sports photographers taking photographs which might have some photographs of you available for purchase. You might find some links for further information above.

 

Don't like your photograph here?

That's OK! We understand!

 

If, for any reason, you are not happy or comfortable with your picture appearing here in this photoset on Flickr then please email us at petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com and we will remove it as soon as possible. We give careful consideration to each photograph before uploading.

 

I want to tell people about these great photographs!

Great! Thank you! The best link to spread the word around is probably http://www.flickr.com/peterm7/sets

 

Copyright Mark Jones 2010

Exposure 1/200 sec at f/5.6, Focal Length 50 mm, ISO200

Canon EOS 450D, EF50mm f/1.8 II Off camera flash camera right. Strobe settings: Various depending on distance (bulk upload)

Social distancing signs in a town centre shopping centre (mall) which has introduced directional walking routes so as to help people stay apart from each other - this is one of six images, the directional signage is colour coded, red and blue.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) (Marathi:छत्रपती शिवाजी टर्मिनस), formerly Victoria Terminus (VT), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an historic railway station in Mumbai, India which serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways. Designed by Frederick William Stevens with influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Mughal buildings, the station was built in 1887 in the Bori Bunder area of Bombay to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The new railway station was built on the location of the Bori Bunder Station and is the busiest railway station in India, serving as a terminal for both long-distance trains and commuter trains of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. The station's name was changed to its present one in March 1996 and it is now known simply as CST (or CSTM).

 

HISTORY

Bori Bunder (alternatively "Bori Bandar") was one of the areas along the Eastern shore line of Mumbai, India which was used as a storehouse for goods imported and exported from Mumbai. In the area's name, 'Bori' means sack and 'Bandar' means port or haven (in Persian); So Bori Bunder literally means a place where sacks are stored. In the 1850s, the Great Indian Peninsular Railway built its railway terminus in this area and the station took its name as Bori Bunder. On 16 April 1853 the Great Indian Peninsula Railway operated the historic first passenger train in India from Bori Bunder to Thane covering a distance of 34 km, formally heralding the birth of the Indian Railways. The train between Bori Bunder and Thane was 57 minutes it was a distance of 35 km apart.

 

CONSTRUCTION

The station was eventually rebuilt as the Victoria Terminus, named after the then reigning Queen, and has been subsequently renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSTM) after Maharashtra's and India's Great famed 17th-century king. The shortened name is now CST.

 

The station was designed by the consulting British architect Frederick William Stevens (1848-1900). Work began in 1878. He received US$26,000 as the payment for his services. Stevens earned the commission to construct the station after a masterpiece watercolour sketch by draughtsman Axel Haig. The final design bears some resemblance to the St Pancras railway station in London. GG Scott's plans for Berlin's parliament building had been published four years before, and also has marked similarities to the station's design.Crawford market is also located near CSTM.

 

OPENING & GROWTH AS VICTORIA TERMINUS

It took ten years to complete and was named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the Queen and Empress Victoria; it was opened on the date of her Golden Jubilee in 1887. It cost £260,000 when it was finished in 1888, the highest for any building of that era in Bombay. This famous architectural landmark in a Gothic-revival style was built as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway. Since then, the station came to be known as Bombay VT. (Railway code-BBVT)

 

Originally intended only to house the main station and the administrative offices of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, a number of ancillary buildings have been added subsequently, all designed so as to harmonise with the main structure. A new station to handle main line traffic was erected in 1929. The original building is still in use to handle suburban traffic and is used by over three million commuters daily. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Central Railway.

 

RENAMING

In 1996, the Minister of Railways, Suresh Kalmadi, changed the name of the station to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in honour of Great King Chhatrapati Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire.

 

In 2008, the station was featured prominently in the Academy Award winning film, Slumdog Millionaire. In 1956, the station was also featured in the film C.I.D. during the song 'Yei Hai Bombay Meri Jaan'.

 

STRUCTURE

The station building is designed in the High Victorian Gothic style of architecture. The building exhibits a fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture. The skyline, turrets, pointed arches, and eccentric ground plan are close to traditional Indian palace architecture. Externally, the wood carving, tiles, ornamental iron and brass railings, grills for the ticket offices, the balustrades for the grand staircases and other ornaments were the work of students at the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art. The station stands as an example of 19th century railway architectural marvels for its advanced structural and technical solutions.

 

The CST was constructed using high level of engineering both in terms of railway engineering and civil engineering. It is one of the first and is considered as one of the finest products of the use of industrial revolution technology merged with revival of the Gothic Revival style In India . The centrally domed office structure has a 330 feet long platform connected to a 1,200 feet long train shed, and its outline provides the skeleton plan for building. CST's dome of dovetailed ribs, built without centering, was considered as a novel achievement of the era. The interior of the building was conceived as a series of large rooms with high ceilings. It is a utilitarian building and has had various changes required by the users, not always sympathetic. It has a C-shaped plan which is symmetrical on an east-west axis. All the sides of the building are given equal value in the design. It is crowned by a high central dome, which acts as the focal point. The dome is an octagonal ribbed structure with a colossal female figure symbolizing Progress, holding a torch pointing upwards in her right hand and a spoked wheel in her left hand. The side wings enclose the courtyard, which opens on to the street. The wings are anchored by monumental turrets at each of their four corners, which balance and frame the central dome. The façades present the appearance of well proportioned rows of windows and arches. The ornamentation in the form of statuary, bas-reliefs, and friezes is exuberant yet well controlled. The columns of the entrance gates are crowned by figures of a lion (representing Great Britain) and a tiger (representing India). The main structure is built from a blend of India sandstone and limestone, while high-quality Italian marble was used for the key decorative elements. The main interiors are also decorated: the ground floor of the North Wing, known as the Star Chamber, which is still used as the booking office, is embellished with Italian marble and polished Indian blue stone. The stone arches are covered with carved foliage and grotesques.

 

Internally, the ceiling of the booking hall was originally painted blue, gold and strong red on a ground of rich blue with gold stars. Its walls were lined with glazed tiles made by Maw & Co of Britain. Outside, there are statues representing Commerce, Agriculture, Engineering and Science, with a statue representing Progress on the central dome of the station. A statue of Queen Victoria beneath the central dome has been removed.

 

CST has 18 platforms - 7 are for locals trains and 11 are for long distance.

 

Rumours persist that the design for Chhatrapat Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai was originally designated for Flinders Street Station. However, no convincing evidence, other than architectural similarities to other buildings in their respective cities, has been produced to support the rumour.

 

Plans are underway to upgrade Mumbai CST (along with Pune Jn. and Nagpur) by means of a public-private partnership.

 

SUBURBAN NETWORK

The network of suburban trains (locally known as locals, short for local trains) radiating out from this station is instrumental in keeping Mumbai running. The station serves long-distance trains as well as two of the suburban lines-the Central Line and the Harbour line. It is the westernmost terminus of Central Railway.

 

- Central Line the trains terminate at Kurla, Ghatkopar, Thane, Dombivli, Kalyan, Ambarnath, Badlapur, Karjat, Khopoli, Asangaon, Titwala, and Kasara.

- Harbour Line the trains terminate at Bandra, Andheri, Mankhurd, Vashi, Nerul, Belapur and Panvel.

 

CST has 18 platforms - six are for locals trains and 12 are for long distance.

 

DORMITORIES

Air-conditioned dormitories were inaugurated at CST on 16 April 2013 by Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. The facility has 58 beds for men and 20 for women.

 

IN POPULAR CULTURE

IN FILMS

The station has been the location of filming the "Jai Ho" song in Slumdog Millionaire; and Ra.One etc.

 

2008 MUMBAI ATTACKS

On 26 November 2008, two terrorists entered the passenger hall of the CST, opened fire and threw grenades at people. The terrorists were armed with AK-47 rifles. One of the terrorists, Ajmal Kasab, was later caught alive by the police and identified by eyewitnesses. The attacks began around 21:30 when the two men entered the passenger hall and opened fire, The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others, including a police officer, Tukaram Omble; their assault ending at about 22:45. The CCTV captured the attack, and the evidence was used to identify and indict Kasab.

 

WIKIPEDIA

"And don't go home tonight.

Come out and find the one that you love and who loves you "

Photo Showing Distance to Tawa Reservoir - 7 KM. Tawa Reservoir is located at Hoshangabad District in Madhya Pradesh. This large reservoir is located on The Tawa River. This reservoir was created only after the building of the Tawa Dam, which began in the year 1958 and the construction work was completed in the year 1978. At the time of the construction of the Tawa reservoir, almost forty-four villages were submerged.

 

Tawa Reservoir is nestled between the western boundary of Satpura National Park and Bori Wildlife Sanctuary. Water Resources Department of Madhya Pradesh bears the responsibility to maintain the Tawa Reservoir. The reservoir is almost 57.91 meters high and 1,815 meters long.

On top of the clock tower, you will find signs like this one that show the direction and distance to certain cities around the world.

I love how the distance to the public toilets is posted on the same sign as that to London and the South Pole.

Keep your distance/Amon Tobin